Spoiling environment for posterity is 'crime': PM Narendra Modi

Berlin: It would be a "crime" to spoil the environment for future generations, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said today and underlined the need to protect biodiversity, as the Trump administration mulls to overturn the US' position on the 2015 Paris climate accord.

Modi's remarks came during a joint press interaction with German Chancellor Angela Merkel after the two leaders agreed to continue cooperation towards the common aim of developing climate-friendly, efficient and sustainable solutions for India's expanding energy needs and other areas of sustainable development.

"We do not have the right to spoil the environment for future generations ... That is, morally speaking, a crime on our part," he said.

In a joint statement, both leaders expressed great appreciation for the successful cooperation on fostering renewable energies in India.

Building on existing formats of cooperation, the leaders reiterated their support to the Indo-German Climate and Renewables Alliance as an overarching alliance between India and Germany with the objective to give recognition to ongoing collaboration of various stakeholders on energy and climate change as well as to enhance cooperation and synergies in these fields.

They underlined the importance of the Indo-German Energy Forum (IGEF) in contributing to the further development of the Indian energy sector.

"Prime Minister Modi and Chancellor Merkel reaffirmed the importance of the Indo-German Environment Forum (IGEnvF) in contributing to further cooperation on environmental issues, including biodiversity and climate change. They agreed to hold the next meeting of the Indo-German Environmental Forum in 2017 in New Delhi," said a statement.

Both sides expressed their commitment to work towards the goals expressed in the New Urban Agenda, agreed at the Habitat III conference in 2016.

Until 2022 Germany intends to provide financial and technical assistance in the range of 1 billion euros.

The two leaders welcomed the meetings of the Working Groups for collaboration in water management, waste Management , circular economy, and climate change held in 2016 and took note of the scheduled meetings for 2017 including the meeting of the proposed Working Group on Biodiversity.

The leaders acknowledged, in particular with regard to the G20, the ongoing important work and activities at different levels to fight marine litter and to counteract its impacts. They stressed the need for cooperation to follow-up on the work done so far within the G20.

Recognising the need to promote an ecosystem that creates entrepreneurial economy, Modi and Merkel agreed to promote cooperation in the field of Startups by facilitating interaction with various stakeholders in the Startups ecosystem.

The two leaders welcomed the outcome of the annual negotiations on development cooperation held in October 2016, as well as the new envisaged commitments in bilateral development cooperation for 2017, each comprising an amount of 1 billion euros.

India and Germany share a long standing, trustful and successful development cooperation.

Lauding Germany's assistance in developmental projects over the years, Modi highlighted the successful Indo-German Solar Partnership founded in 2015 and the cooperation on Green Energy Corridors established in 2013.

US President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that he will make a decision next week on whether the US will abide by the 2015 Paris agreement on cutting global carbon emissions.

"I will make my final decision on the Paris Accord next week!" Trump tweeted from the G7 summit in Sicily.